Are You an Emotional Reader?

Have you ever stopped to think about the choices you make and how it is based on your mood at the time? The music you choose to listen to or the food you eat can sometimes be decided purely on the mood you are in at that moment. But, have you considered your reading choices? Do you ever read a book based on your mood at the time? Are you possibly an emotional reader?

I have thought about this topic a lot. I have a huge collection of books. I can look through the books I’ve accumulated over the years and see how I’ve grown and changed. It’s like peeking at someone’s diary, but the books are front and center on a bookcase available for anyone to look at.

Here is a basic rundown of the books I have been drawn towards over the years.

20’s – Romance novels (young and hopeful romantic), career books (deciding on career), interior design (what I was passionate about and decorating my first home).

30’s – Health books (diagnosed with graves disease and fibromyalgia had me reading all I could on the topics), self-help (finding my way in life after some life issues rattled my world), cookbooks (healthy eating, best foods to cook for a family).

40’s – Business books (lost my job and started my own business), memoirs (fascination with how people get to the places they end up), classic literature (my writing career had me intrigued to read as many of the classics as I could get my hands on).

I love how books can provide a path you can look back on and see where you have been in your life. It’s like leaving a trail of breadcrumbs that you can follow back to your past.

What I find most interesting is when I go into a bookstore, the most successful trips are the ones where I don’t have a particular book in mind. I just wander the aisles and see what catches my attention. By the time I have completed going through the store, I usually have a bundle of books and a fairly good idea of how I’m feeling and what I would like to focus on. It’s kind of a magical experience like going to a fortune-teller and getting your palm read. You learn more about yourself and what your mood is based on by the time you are cashing out your books.

I have found that if I order books online, by the time they come in the mail, I have changed course and am not in the mood to read what a few days before seemed to be something I couldn’t live without. I have a pile of books, probably a full shelf of books I haven’t read yet. I wait awhile until a book sparks my interest again and then read at that time.

In the past, I have looked through the shelves when I had nothing to read and have found joy in a book long forgotten that once again is of interest to me. I know I have found a moment I don’t want to let get past me, so I grab the book and begin to read it right away.

Today I went to the bookstore and wandered the aisles. I wasn’t quite sure what I would pick, but thought I had an idea. I was wrong. Once inside the store, I lost interest to the books I had been thinking of and found several that I felt I couldn’t live without. $148.38 later, I walked away with 5 books. Yes, bookstores are a dangerous place for my pocketbook.

It’s Sunday and quite frankly my favorite day of the week to read. It’s usually the day I find the peace and quiet I need to dive into a new story. Today, the kids are all of doing things outside the house, my errands are done, the house is clean and except for a sick husband that I have been plying with chicken soup and orange juice, I have nothing to do but make some dinner for the family later today and sit back and enjoy some reading. It’s really (except for my poor sick husband) a perfect reading kind of day!

Wendy McCance is a Michigan based freelance writer and social media consultant. Wendy has gained attention as the founder of the popular blog Searching for the Happiness which can be viewed in 9 local papers online, including the Oakland Press. The combination of writing skills and social media knowledge is what makes Wendy such a powerhouse to work with. Stay tuned for opportunities to advertise, guest post and as always, have your questions answered.

To contact Wendy McCance about a writing or social media assignment, interview or speaking engagement, please email her at: mccance.wendy@gmail.com

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3 thoughts on “Are You an Emotional Reader?”

I can relate to this, just a little differently. When you look at our extensive library it’s filled to the ceiling with cookbooks and books on wine. So depending on my mood… Am I in the mood to bake a delicious new dessert, snuggle up with a great stew, or am I in the mood to celebrate with a new wine…. That determines what I reach for. 🙂